Over 90 years ago in young America, gangs began to squeeze money out of communities using a mixture of business savvy, intimidation and terrifying brute force.

You likely know most of these gangs by another name—the Mafia.

There seemed to be no end to the Mafia’s momentum of reign in America, if not for two significant events: acknowledgement that organized crime exists; and use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) which prescribed financial forfeitures and heavy prison sentences for each count of racketeering. The statutes meant lifetime prison sentences for Mafia kingpins.

Following my posts about Ferguson, Missouri since the summer means you know by now that I’m not completely impressed with the US Justice Department simply publishing a report that says the city’s police, court and administrative processes are reliving the golden years of Reconstruction. And I’m not completely satisfied with the terminations of four Ferguson officials.

I’ve been saying all along that Ferguson, Missouri’s city executives have been running a criminal enterprise, and the Justice Department should begin prosecuting these executives as if some laws have been broken.

The Justice Department should invoke RICO statutes against the City of Ferguson.

Given the widespread use of Ferguson’s racially-biased police profiling and subsequent fines to fund municipal operations, RICO allows for all of the city’s leaders to be placed on trial and given lifelong prison sentences, if found guilty.

The problem appears to be larger than Ferguson, which makes me think the Justice Department should eventually begin placing a RICO lens on additional cities within St. Louis County. And the problem could be larger…

If RICO is applied, the victims of Ferguson’s criminal enterprise can sue the city for damages. I’m sure that plenty of wages, jobs and intangibles were lost as a result of Ferguson’s scheme.